The Fire's Still Burning
by iXhaveXnoXlife
Summary: Sequel to "Strike it, Work it, Make it, Love it," it takes place a year later. Long one-shot.


**A/N: ** YES. Finally finished! After a year of writer's block (deadly little disease, i'll tell you what), this has _finally _been finished. This takes place a year after the "Strike it, Work it, Make it, Love it." So, if you haven't read that, it's probably best that you do. So, please … ENJOY THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR. Not even exaggerating. Well … maybe just a little bit.

**Warnings: ** Yaoi, language, a real lack of solid plot, and romance so crappy and sappy, you'll vomit your internal organs. All of them.

Kiba eyed his former teammate and long-time friend, as well as long-term boyfriend, Shino, with intent and watching eyes. The latter, eying Kiba back through his dark sunglasses, furrowed his eyebrows a fraction more as his grip on his chopsticks tightened with tension. Apparently, Kiba was in one of _those _moods today, much to the bug-user's chagrin. Kiba had a way of being too talkative when it came to the things that Shino couldn't bear to hear, though somehow, he always persevered. It was a shame that, even with all those years spent together-along with Hinata-Chan-Kiba still hadn't learned to quiet himself just a _little _bit more. Kiba always liked to bring up his past conquests, letting Shino in on secrets as to where he learned some of the things he liked to use on Shino during those... _special moments_.

Kiba's eyebrows rose, hinting heavily of _I'm going to tell you something amazing_, and Shino's eyebrows furrowed even more. He certainly had no intentions of hearing about Kiba's prior sex-life, and he thought about it intently that he was pretty sure he had verbally expressed that he didn't like it. Sometimes he thought the horny Inuzuka was worse than the knuckle-headed Uzumaki. However, unlike the horny Inuzuka, the knuckle-headed Uzumaki was now the sixth Hokage. Naruto had a big job, and although all the ninja of the Leaf Village had important jobs, Naruto's was the most important-he was the reason for any peace or war brought upon rival villages. Kiba's job, however, was simply to _do _the missions with his team of Genin.

"Hey, Shino," Kiba said in a slightly husky voice, distracting said ninja from his thoughts.

Shino looked at the other Jounin, contemplating on whether or not he should answer him. If he thought no, then the Inuzuka would feel flustered and most likely throw a temper-tantrum until he listened. If he said yes, then Kiba would go off about past sex partners, and Shino would feel like he would break in two. Though of course, he would never show it-he was too composed for that sort of emotional display. His father had raised him well in the arts of apathy, and he wasn't about it let it go out the window over something he _knew _shouldn't hurt him, but always did.

"What," he said finally.

"Wanna know what I'm thinking about?" the Inuzuka asked, a smile flashing valiantly on his face.

Shino closed his eyes behind the safety of his sunglasses, forever thankful that no human being could see through their darkness. He didn't look down, and he didn't do anything that would give the hint that he was mentally preparing himself for whatever response Kiba may give him when he said yes. Should he say yes? He really didn't want to...

He remained silent.

Kiba's smile disappeared. "You okay, buddy?"

_No_. Shino gave a faint nod, though still distinguishable to Kiba. Or, at least he hoped; sometimes people had a difficult time reading the ninja's body gestures. But considering that Kiba had known Shino since he was what-_twelve?_-he _should _know at least a little something about him... But then again, Kiba was as predictable as a five year-old on crack. What that had to do with the current situation, Shino didn't know.

Kiba cocked his head to the side a tad. "Are you sure? I mean, you're really tense... Maybe I could remedy that for you." He smiled happily at Shino, thinking of what he should do to help ease Shino's tension. "Maybe a massage would help?" He gestured with his hands the very moment he'd mentioned the massage, hoping Shino would say yes. He loved giving Shino massages, because he knew how tense the ninja really was, despite his apathetic nature. Shino was always brought to be upright and rigid, too in control of his body and its movements, making him stiff. Shino had claimed on numerous occasions that he wasn't stiff, but every time, the Inuzuka male had proved him wrong with every swift and well-placed hand putting pressure in every right spot.

Shino closed his eyes once more behind his sunglasses, thoughtful of the given option. To get a massage, or not to get a massage? A massage did sound nice, and he figured that he really needed it. Anything to keep Kiba from talking about whatever it was that was so _amazing_... He nodded finally. _But a place not so public would be nice, _he thought pathetically. "Here?" he asked. Why was he so nervous? Oh, right-it was _Kiba _that was offering a massage. Hands similar to sex itself, there was no way one could _deny _the offer should the Inuzuka offer it to anyone. He opened his eyes to discover Kiba eying him with intensity, wondering what it was that had the bug-user so on edge.

"Shino?" came Kiba's voice, waking Shino from his onslaught of thoughts.

"Here?" Shino asked again, hoping to get his point across.

Kiba thought for a second, and then smiled with a shake of his head. "No, not here. Silly. We'll go back to my place."

"Your place?" asked Shino, his voice on the verge of squeaking. "But, Kiba... Your place is too... open. You live in a tent for a house, and you don't even have a door..."

Kiba shrugged. "So I have a flap for a door, and I don't have locks. But, Shino..." He whined out Shino's name. "Please? You've haven't been over in a while, and I _really _want some me and you time. It's not that bad, you have to admit." He waved his hand out, loosely pointing his finger at the Aburame. "Most of the guys down at the compound are pretty cool about that stuff."

_Most, _thought Shino. "But your mother..."

Kiba waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, pooh on her. If it makes you feel better, we'll go back to your place. You've got your own place, right?"

Shino shook his head and thought for a minute before answering: "Maybe... we should find our own place?"

Kiba looked surprised. "You wanna... go and find our own place? Really? _Really_? I mean... Wow. That's great, Shino; it really is. But..."

Shino's heart sank when he heard the word "but." "But...?" he pressed.

"Do you think we could?" Kiba continued. "We're both really busy training our teams, and then like, you're busy spending free time learning new tricks with your bugs or having quality time with your dad. Me? Ma's too busy hounding me for like, baby stuff and pills for Hana's headaches. And ma's so stressed out from helping Hana raise her kid that she's always freaking out on me. I can't just leave while Hana and ma need me most... I mean," he said quickly, tracing circles absentmindedly on the table, "if I leave, what if they need me and can't get a hold of me?"

"Does... that mean you _wouldn't _want to move in with me?" Shino asked, feeling somewhat disheartened.

"Ooohh, Shino..." Kiba whimpered, noticing the hurt behind the other man's sunglasses. He got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around Shino's neck. He nuzzled his nose into the side of Shino's face, feeling the slight tickling sensations from the other man's brown hairs. "Shino..." he whispered, tickling Shino's neck and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Hesitantly, knowing all-too-well that this was probably causing a scene for the public eye-both good for some and bad for others-Shino placed a hand gingerly on the start of the curve of Kiba's waist, his middle finger just centimeters from the other's belly-button. He felt Kiba nuzzle harder into the side of his head, pressing occasional soft kisses. "Kiba," Shino whispered. "We should do this when it's not to public..."

Kiba chuckled into Shino's hair, a smile gracing his face. Shino could feel it. "I know. But I can't help it. And you _know _these horny bastards can't deny that they like it, you know? I mean, come _on_... Everyone knows me as being the sexiest, and you're the most untouchable. Oh, sure, girls think that you're creepy. But _I _know that you're _really good in bed_... And… plus, people like to think that they can get an easy lay with me."

Shino's heart skipped a beat at that last statement. He pulled Kiba back slightly and looked him in the eye, glaring. "Excuse me?"

Kiba was a little surprised by Shino's sudden jealousy, but then he laughed. "No, no, Shino. 'Think.' _Think_. No one's touched me more than you have."

"You mean... the first time we did it...?" Shino started, thinking about what happened some several months ago. "You were... a _virgin_? Like I was?"

Kiba nodded, a smile planted beautifully on his face. "Yep."

"Then..." Shino couldn't place together his thoughts to put them into verbal words. He almost gasped at the realization that he'd _hurt _Kiba. It was his first _time _ever having _sex_? It didn't seem possible... "I had sex with you... and took away your... virginity?"

Kiba nodded again. "Yup. And by the way, it was an _amazing _first experience."

_And all this time, _thought Shino, _I thought you were the most promiscuous thing to walk the planet... I shouldn't have doubted you like that. _He smiled behind his turtleneck slightly. He had to admit that Kiba was much smarter and incognito than what he'd originally thought.

"But, you know..." Kiba said, bringing Shino back from his thoughts. "My team is out for the weekend with some weird mission with Kakashi." He rolled his eyes at Naruto's old sensei, wondering how and why Kakashi's hair hadn't turned anything like, bland considering his hair was white for so many years. Grandma Tsunade had yet to pass away, but then, who truly knew of her age? Pervy Sage? Either way, Kiba was _sure _that the Fifth was well into her eighties by now... "So I was thinking... Maybe you'd want to come out tonight? We could go back to my place... and have some fun..."

"Kiba," Shino said, trying to stay rational-but who could stay _rational _when Kiba was using that husky voice?-"Your clan is very intrusive. Do you recall the first time we had sex? They wouldn't leave us alone after that whenever I came to visit. Your mother kept sniffing us."

Kiba snorted. "'T was probably because we used lube. In my family, stuff like that isn't really _used_, but then again... there aren't a lot of people like us roaming amongst the clans. Just relax, Shino," he cooed.

Shino's lips twisted in a mildly annoyed fashion, but it was difficult because he couldn't stay angry in the face of any sort of shown optimism when it came from Kiba. "So you _lied _to me?"

Kiba's response was hesitant: "W-well... Yeah. But, but," he added quickly. "If I'd said I'd never done it before, you would have _never _touched me! You're always so careful with everything that I couldn't tell you the truth!"

"So you lied to me." To Shino, telling a lie was much worse than telling the truth. He would've liked to know so that he wasn't so jealous of the Inuzuka and all the men that had touched him. When in truth, they hadn't touched him like that at all. His mouth twisted in an irritated fashion at the thought.

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds awful." The Inuzuka looked at the Aburame with obvious guilt. His intentions were good enough-why hadn't the other man accepted that? He knew that Shino had been a jealous little bugger since they had turned sixteen. Lying to him hadn't been easy, but he was an extremely good actor. Even _he _had to tell himself that much without sounding conceited.

"It sounds awful to me," Shino stressed. "You didn't have to lie. It wasn't necessary. I would have liked to know the truth instead."

"Okay…" Kiba said with a nod. "The truth is, you're my first. I just… didn't want you to worry about hurting me. So I acted like a slut even though I've never done it to help put you at some sort of ease." He paused, and Shino opened his mouth. Kiba stuck his hand up to stop him. "But it was obvious that you weren't happy with the way I was presenting myself. I mean, I looked like a hooker on our last two-man mission to get that target… You were really upset with my attire, and you were _so_ reluctant to let me pull through with my plan. But like, I'm not that stupid. Not as stupid as you thought I was. You don't give me enough credit, and then you baby me half the time. I just don't want you to be mad at me."

Shino folded his arms in thought, his mouth twisting in a thoughtful position. "It's true that I haven't been giving you much credit as far as intelligence goes. However… the fact that you lied to me doesn't put me in much ease. The thought of other _men _being with you-_sexually_-doesn't put me at ease. Maybe you're unsure of this, but I am prone to jealousy…"

"You're prone to jealousy?" Kiba asked, bewildered. "That's… cool. At least I know you liked me then. But… I could smell it, too." He gestured to his nose and smiled. "So…" He raised his arms out from his sides, as if asking something. "Wanna take me up on that offer?"

Shino's eyebrow arched. "You never cease to amaze me."

Kiba snorted halfheartedly and smiled. "Whattya mean?"

"You can't stay angry for very long," Shino explained. "And you expect me to get over the fact that you _lied _to me."

Kiba flinched at the anger Shino expressed in the word "lied." "But... I _had _good intentions."

"Sometimes lying hurts more than the truth," Shino protested apathetically.

Kiba looked away, shucking his foot into the dirt and abusing it, specks of dirt flying into the air before falling down to the earth once more. He couldn't think of anything to say, and he figured that saying anything would result in making the situation worse. He wondered idly if any of the abuse he'd caused the earth was hitting Shino's calves, or if the bug-user even _felt _the collection of dust. He looked at Shino with pursed lips and thought for a moment, then smiled when it clicked. "Shino!"

Shino's head snapped back into reality at the sound of his name.

"C'mon!" the Inuzuka chirped happily. "Let's go! We're gonna go to my place!"

Without a seconds' worth of second thought, Kiba grabbed the still-sitting Aburame by the wrist and pulled him out of the seat, only to be dragged away. Shino couldn't think of what to say in this sudden exhilaration, and simply followed the dog-lover to wherever it was he was dragging him. For once in his ninja life, he wondered why it was when the Inuzuka was so hyper that he actually ran fast enough to get them away in less than a seconds' time.

"Kiba, where are we going?" Shino asked, wondering where _exactly _the Inuzuka was actually taking him. It'd become clear just a little while back that the other man wasn't _really_ taking the clueless Aburame to the Inuzuka compounds. If he was, then they would've taken a couple of different routes a little while back.

The Inuzuka man simply laughed, still dragging the other man behind him. "We're here!"

Both men came to a halt, and Shino eyed his surroundings. His eyebrow rose fractionally before he turned to the slightly shorter man and eyed him with confusion. "Kiba... where are we?"

"Well..." started Kiba, almost too bashful to even think of his words. "I thought that, since we haven't been able to really see each other, we could turn this into a bit of a date."

"A date?" the bug-user questioned.

Kiba nodded, a smile brewing on his face. "Yeah. At night, this place looks amazing. There's supposed to be a full moon tonight, so I thought... why not spend this night with Shino?" His smile widened. "C'mon. You _know _you've been missing me."

Shino blushed at Kiba's last statement.

"We haven't done it since we got back to the village from our last two-man mission!" Kiba whined. "What with all the missions and crap going on with our teams, we never get to see each other. I miss you... And… even though we've done missions with each other's teams and stuff, it's not the same. We can't have any fun. I don't know about you, but I've got some needs that can _really _be sated..."

Shino's eyebrow arched slightly. "What...?"

Kiba's mouth twisted in an irritated fashion. "Must I spell it out to you?" He pointed a finger sarcastically to his head.

_That might be nice, _Shino thought. "No, I'll figure it out for myself..."

"Pfft." Kiba waved his hand. "You're no fun."

"I'm stern, not anti-fun," protested Shino.

Kiba laughed. "Don't lie! You're _so _anti-fun!"

Feeling somewhat irate, Shino grabbed Kiba the scruff and forced him into a surprising kiss. Kiba was caught off-guard for only a moment before he delved right into it. Feeling sly, he stuck his tongue out, licking playfully at Shino's lips, wondering if he'd open his mouth to return the favor. He was relieved when he felt Shino hesitantly open his mouth; feeling a tingle of pleasure as he felt the other's sharp tongue toying with his own. He let out a tiny moan-causing Shino to blush-as he felt Shino's tongue play artfully with his own tongue. As they began to pull away, Kiba grabbed Shino's lower lip between his teeth sensuously before kissing him again, and ultimately pulling away. Shino still hadn't let go of the Inuzuka's scruff as Kiba touched noses with the other man lovingly.

"_God_, I've missed this," Kiba whispered, his lips touching Shino's. "Are you _sure _you don't wanna do something fun later on?"

Shino gulped quietly. Shino _knew _what Kiba was asking for, _knew _what he wanted. Shino knew that he really _wanted _to do something like that with Kiba again-it'd been far too long since their last encounter back in Fire Hutch City. They were technically committed, though unlike Asuma and Kurenai's relationship, it wasn't as open, or as noticeable. People simply expected the two Jounin from separate clans to be together out of being teammates since before their teenage years; it was simply an old habit. But that was long ago, and Asuma was long-since dead. It was to everyone's relief that Shikamaru had... _eventually _gotten over his death and moved on. Though it was safe to say that his mother was worried about his addiction to smoking.

"Doing this during the day..." Shino started to say. "It won't count as being incognito..."

"I knew that, silly!" Kiba laughed. "We're not doing _that _until later! I thought that... maybe we could have dinner first. We could have it here because... it's so pretty. When the stars come out, it's the most beautiful thing _ever_. I mean, we'd have to bring blankets and stuff to stay on, maybe a couple of pillows... Oh! And maybe we could make a bonfire, too! That'd look really nice, wouldn't it?"

Shino smiled. Kiba had been thinking about this a lot. It was plain to see just how important this was to the Inuzuka.

"Shino!"

Shino came back to reality. "What?"

"You never answered my question!" He laughed.

"What was it?" Shino asked.

"Hey," Kiba said, pointing a finger. "You don't like repeating yourself, so why should I?"

"That's because I don't like repeating myself when someone was technically listening the first time..."

"Well...?" Kiba pressed. "Wouldn't it be nice? To have this date tonight?"

"Yes," Shino replied with finality. "Who is going to provide the blankets and items needed for the bonfire?"

"I told mom and Hana," Kiba admitted sheepishly. "That you and I... had done it. I mean, they _knew _that I'd had sex because they could smell it. But I had to tell them that I'd done it with you."

Shino blushed. He hadn't exactly told his father yet, and being the giver of the relationship, Shibi wouldn't be able to tell. That was _especially _easy to hide because he knew how to keep himself-well clean and well dressed-it'd been threaded into his blood thanks to his father. In all honesty, he didn't know how his father would react to his relationship with Kiba. An Inuzuka altogether? That would be acceptable with time. But an Inuzuka _male_? That was an entirely different story.

"But they're okay with it!" Kiba said reassuringly. "They're okay with us being together. They can smell how much I like you, and… they could sense how unhappy I was until I'd heard that you came back with your team."

"My father noticed my lack of enthusiasm during a bug research event while I was away," Shino pointed out.

"When was that?" Kiba asked.

"We had the bug search a couple of days after I got back from the mission with my team," Shino explained. "The mission had gone through with efficient success and didn't require the other three appointed days therefore. My father congratulated me formally and told me about the bug research soon after."

"But you're so interested in knowing about them that you couldn't say no, right?" Kiba smiled.

"It's the only blatant thing about me," Shino pointed.

"That's true," Kiba agreed. "But..." He wrapped his arms around Shino's hips, grabbing slightly at the bones hiding beneath the unnecessary layers of clothing the damn Aburame was told to wear. "There's something blatant about you that _I _know about, too." He nuzzled his nose against Shino's and smiled. "I _know _you've been missin' me, and-_just to let you know_-I have _no _intentions of disappointing you tonight," he added in a husky voice.

Shino blushed, wishing his self-control were that _in _control in the first place to keep the blood from rushing into his face. Alas, he knew he wasn't, and that was so disappointing to him. He gulped and in an almost desperate attempt to keep anything from _rising_ as a result of Kiba's huskiness, he asked: "What time is the date?"

Kiba smiled and pulled away slightly, though didn't let go of his lover's hips. "I was thinking maybe... seven tonight? We'll still have time to enjoy the setting sun and sitting together on the cushiony blankets... And then we could start the bonfire and have dinner together. I've got an idea for dessert, too! Like, something that could _really _get us in the mood. And maybe we could play a little game while we wait for dinner. I mean, dinner won't be anything too special 'cause it's being cooked over a bonfire... But Nee-San's been teaching me how to cook, so I'm pretty good at it. If I do say so myself," he boasted.

"You've been thinking a lot about this, haven't you?" asked Shino. He was still admiring all the thought that went into this one night of romance.

Kiba nodded happily. "I _really _want to make this memorable, though. And... our first time doing it was spur of the moment-I want something that makes it seem _perfect_. And that's why I wanted us to go on a date. It's not like a flashy restaurant where the food looks so pretty you can't even eat it, but... you know... we're so used to finding food for ourselves and packing food and cooking it ourselves that... I didn't think we'd _need _to go to a really expensive food joint. But like... who needs all that stuff when we can have a nice night here, under the stars, in front of a warm fire, and being close to someone you really, _really _like, right?" He looked at Shino thoughtfully, a deep and genuine smile on his face.

Shino admired Kiba's profoundness and smiled at the shorter ninja. "Right."

Kiba's smile increased in size as he wrapped his arms around the Aburame, burying his face in the other man's clothes. "You're the best boyfriend _ever_," he whispered. He hugged Shino tighter when he felt the other hugging him in return, and nuzzled his face into Shino's chest. "I love you _so _much, buddy..."

"I love you, too, Kiba," Shino whispered back. "But... why are you slouching? Isn't that uncomfortable?"

Kiba laughed and pulled away slightly. He poked Shino playfully in the chest. "Shino! You're not supposed to mention that sort of stuff when we're doing things like this! God! Has your dad taught you _nothing _on the history and know-all of _love _and _romance_?"

Shino had to admit, rather sheepishly, that, no; his father _hadn't _taught him about romance. His mother was long-since dead, and Shibi was happy with his son being alive at least. To Shibi, there was no reason to romance himself another woman. "No."

Kiba simply laughed at the response. "Go figure! Your dad's really uptight about this stuff. Formal, perfect, nothing out of order. He's like a military serge, really."

Shino was thankful that he had such a high collar, or else Kiba would see every ounce of embarrassment the Aburame failed to hide. Kiba was right, of course he was right. If Shino's father _were _here, then there would be a very _stern_ talking to. Shibi never got truly angered to the point of yelling, but it was plain to see when he was angry as opposed to relaxed. _Relaxed_... Shino thought halfheartedly. _Father never looked totally relaxed_..._ And I don't think he could ever be relaxed... _"That is true."

Kiba gave Shino a toothy grin. "So... when you gonna tell him?"

Shino's heart dropped. "Tell him what?" He was dreading the response.

"Us, silly!" Kiba exclaimed. "If my family knows, then why shouldn't you tell _your family_ about _us_, too?"

"I'm not..." Shino faded. He shook his thoughts from his mind and said: "Get ready for tonight. Grab the blankets and I'll bring food."

"What kind of food?" Kiba questioned.

"You'll see," Shino said simply. "Get the firewood and build the bonfire pit. I'll grab some things that'll help liven the mood."

Kiba's smile brightened and he nodded his head. "Okay! But... when will you tell him, Shino?"

Shino hesitated.

"He can't do anything anyway," Kiba insisted. "You're a grown _man_. You're not a kid anymore. He can't tell you what to do-"

"But I _am _still a part of the Aburame clan," Shino interrupted.

Kiba halted and pursed his lips. "Oh... That means that..."

"I could get kicked out," Shino finished. "Yes..." _If I get kicked out... then where will I go? Where would I stay? Neji and Hinata are still living near their clan in a separate house, still getting help if needed. Shikamaru lives his daily life contently near his father's house, rooming with Chouji in an apartment complex... Ino lives in her mother's house, helping with the flower shop. And surprisingly, Naruto managed to coax Sakura into rooming with him in his house... But... where would _I _be able to stay? _

"You can stay with me!" Kiba declared easily.

Shino held back a face-fault that threatened to come out on his face and said: "But Kiba..."

Kiba immediately lost his happy face. "Shino... There's nothing wrong with my place. Everything works. We're all well taken care of. Clean, well-fed, decent housing... It's not as _proper _as the Aburame Clan's is... But it's still better than living alone. Unless, of course, we could get a place together?"

"Kiba, you live in a tent," Shino pointed out. "Half the members of the Inuzuka Clan live in tents."

"But there's a big building that has a bunch of showers and toilets," Kiba intercepted. "There's a separate section for men and women. I mean... we could move in together. I know it sounded like I didn't want to earlier, but that was because of Hana. You know, her being pregnant and all. But like, there's a house up for sale just outside the compounds. I've checked it out, and... it ain't that bad really."

"_You've _been looking at houses?" Shino asked, slightly bewildered. "That's slightly surprising." Kiba scowled at Shino, earning a smirk. "Let's get ready for the date for now."

"Right." Kiba leaned forward to give Shino another kiss before running off in a separate direction.

Shino sighed heavily, hands shoved into his pockets, head low, as he realized that telling his father was going to be the most difficult thing he'd _ever_ have to do in his life. He pondered in his head how his father would react to his relationship with Kiba. It had been a year since their last romantic thing; and Kiba had been correct: It _was _aspur of the moment. Afterward, it was only physically established that they were linked romantically. They had only had sex once, and Kiba was planning on having an intimate night with Shino. He'd promised to get the food, while Kiba had run off to get everything else. He was sure that Kiba's clan was actually _supportive _of their relationship. Chances are, Kiba was asking the other Inuzuka members to help make a bonfire pit for the fire, and retrieving the best pillows and blankets they could obtain to make everything perfect. Much to Shino's reluctance, he realized that alcohol would most likely be involved.

He reached the complex of his clan home and, with another sigh, entered. He opened the door to his home, finding his father sitting in the living room chair-his chair-reading a book most likely on a specific form of beetle. Shibi looked up at his son, standing awkwardly in front of the door. "Shino. What are you doing here? I thought you were out doing something."

"... Father," Shino started carefully. "Can we have an important discussion in the dining area?"

Shibi eyed his son for a moment, assessing him, before giving a quick one-nod and getting up from his seat. Shino followed behind at a respectively decent space as they both walking into the dining area. Both men sat on opposite sides of the short-legged table, seating themselves comfortably on the tatami mats. However, Shino could only sit in awkwardness and tension as he sat with his hands clasped together on the table, waiting to let out the bad news to his father. _Disappointment is only a few words away, _Shino thought pessimistically. He shook his head mentally; he could only ignore his logical thinking when not in the face Kiba's optimism.

"What is it, Shino?" Shibi asked. He instantly noticed his son's tension.

"I wanted to say something with you," Shino replied as perfectly even as he could. "How do you feel about me having a relationship?"

Shibi was interested, though not blatantly as one would think. "Really. And what sort of relationship is this?"

"It's romantic," Shino replied.

"With whom?" Shibi questioned. "Is this someone part of the Aburame Clan?"

Shino inhaled deeply, bracing himself for the impact of Shibi's uncontrolled rage. Should it be relinquished, of course. "No."

Shibi's frown deepened. "With whom, then? Someone of an outside clan?"

"Yes." Shino's knuckles turned white as he held onto his own hands.

"Well?" Shibi pressed.

"An Inuzuka." There. He'd said it. Now he was waiting for the call of angered Kikai just waiting for Shibi's command to obliterate his son out of sheer aggression and repulsion. He closed his eyes behind his sunglasses, bracing himself for the impact of Kikai loaded with Shibi's hatred.

"An Inuzuka?" asked Shibi. He wasn't angry, but rather... a little surprised. Shibi wasn't prepared entirely for _that _response. He could deal with someone maybe from the Yamanaka family, or perhaps the Hyuuga Clan. But an _Inuzuka? _"Meshing clans? Shino? Are you sure that's a good idea? Our clans are incredibly different from one another. We were raised differently. We fight differently. How can any offspring brought on between an Aburame and Inuzuka survive comfortably in the ninja world without feeling conflicted?"

Shino sighed. His father was right to an extent. _However_... there was a significant difference. Kiba _wasn't _a _female_ Inuzuka. "Father, my intimate partner is not..." Despite years and years of training, Shino couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't tell his father that the Inuzuka he was having intimate flairs with was a _male_ Inuzuka. How could he? It was pleasant enough that Shibi was tolerant to deal with the fact that Shino was seeing an Inuzuka member in the first place. But if Shino told his father that he was seeing _Kiba_, Tsume's _son_, the rising heir to the Inuzuka Clan, then who knows _when_ Shino's blood will be spilled?

"Your partner isn't what, Shino?" Shibi pressed.

Shino inhaled, bracing himself for the final time. He wished deeply that he lived in a more relaxed and opened growing environment so that telling his father that his partner was a male. "He isn't a female." What was going to happen to him now? Was Shibi going to strategically place his Kikai into Shino's jugular and blast it from the inside out causing Shino's ultimate death? He cringed inwardly at the morbid thought.

"A male?" Shibi's voice was threading with anger. "A _male_. Stop this now. There is to be absolutely no son of mine to have any sort of intimate interaction with another male."

Shino knew that the word on the tip of his tongue meant a form of sudden death to hang over his head. Saying this word would be his damnation from the clan. That was certain, but only a matter of time would pass before it became permanent. "No."

"How do you intend to continue with life if your partner cannot produce children?" Shibi demanded.

"With the available jutsus, there should be no problem to create a pregnancy." Shino hoped that would help put Shibi's mind at some sort of ease. He knew for a fact that his father would never truly be _okay _to the idea of his son being Kiba; but if he could help make resolutions to his father's demands, then Shibi would have no choice but to accept his son's choice. Or, kick him out of the clan. _Then we could move into that house, _he thought with nihilism.

"But a wedding ceremony," Shibi persisted. "The availability of a homosexual marriage is still in debate."

"Civil union?" suggested Shino. He was proud that he'd managed to keep a steady voice through it all. "It isn't the same as marriage, but it's in some ways the same."

"You're willing to allow yourself something second rate?" Shibi inquired.

"Father, my relationship with Kiba is-"

"So _that _is the Inuzuka you have been seeing," Shibi interrupted. "You're telling me that you want to _marry _Inuzuka Kiba and pursue a life with him?"

"Marriage has never been discussed between us," Shino pointed. "We have technically been together for a year, but we have not seen each other for the majority of that year due to separate lifestyles and current teams. Our intentions were to eventually move into our own house, live our lives, and simply end it at that."

"Live together and die?" Shibi was not pleased. "By how? Natural causes? Honorably on the battlefield?"

"We don't need anything more," Shino insisted. "As long as we're together, then what purpose is there to marriage? A relationship grows and progresses with or without the investment of a wedding reception. Father, with or without your consent, I _will _continue to see Kiba. My intentions of coming home were to tell you this, and to get food."

"Food? For what?" Shibi looked at his son, watched him stand up.

"A date," Shino replied simply. "If Kiba and I decide in the future that we want a child, then we will ask Lady Tsunade. But for now, the importance of our time spent outside of clan needs and missions will be spent strengthening our relationship."

With that final statement, Shino walked past his father, and retrieved a plastic bag. He grabbed several items from the cupboards and refrigerator, taking whatever seemed like a good idea for his date, and, with one last verbal expression to his father, left the house he very well may never be able to enter again.

Kiba was waiting for Shino when the stoic man finally arrived. Kiba was smiling, obviously proud of the setup that was waiting to be used by both men. The dog-lover watched as Shino came closer, thoroughly happy that they were going to have their date finally. When Shino set down the bag of food, Kiba, who was more than enthusiastic to initiate the romantic part of the day, immediately embraced him.

"I'm _so _glad we're doing this," Kiba whispered into Shino's ear.

Shino remembered the conversation he'd had with his father earlier and simply enfolded the younger ninja in a tight hug. He brought a hand up and ran it gently through the other's hair, lavishing the feeling of it. Kiba hummed in appreciation and turned his head to the side, forcing Shino's chin up as the shorter man nuzzled his side into Shino's neck. "We should probably start," he suggested.

Kiba nodded and pulled away. "Right." He walked over to the blanket and sat down, getting comfortable. "See? Look how cool it looks. This blanket is really soft and comfy. And, and, these pillows are so plush it's not even funny. We're used to sleeping on those stupid stiff pillows on missions, but not tonight." He waved a finger as if though to scold. "There's a bonfire pit, too. It's just waiting to be lit when we use it. Oh." He reached for a basket just a little behind him, turning to retrieve it before facing his lover again. "I brought wine. I figure that, instead of beer or vodka, we could go for the easy going stuff."

Shino shrugged. _If you don't down all three bottles before I finish my first glass... _"Did you bring plates, bowls, and cups?"

"Duh!" Kiba laughed. "Of course I did. You didn't think I'd forget did you, silly? You got food, so I brought everything else."

"So you did," Shino agreed, eying the display.

"Well, c'mere!" Kiba waved for the other man to sit down on the blanket. "What's the point in having anything happen if you're gonna stand all the way over there?"

Shino shrugged but walked over to the cushiony blanket nonetheless. He sat down next to Kiba, getting comfortable on the unusually soft fabric, far used to the roughness of the blankets and pillows that were used on missions. He looked at Kiba, who was so happy he had a goofy grin on his face, teeth shining valiantly in the setting sun's light. He brought his hand up to stroke the younger man's face. "We should probably get started."

"Okay! What'd you bring?" He pointed to the bag full of goods Shino had brought for their date.

"My clan doesn't have much of a... variety," the other explained. "I brought some ingredients for stir fry, salads, and chocolate."

"Chocolate? Really? I didn't think your clan even _had _something like that." Kiba smiled. "That's cool. We gonna melt it and dip something in it?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Uck!" Shino's hand attacked his face. "Shino! Was that really necessary?"

"Yes. You were being perverted." He shook his head. _Will he ever learn? _

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway..." He reached for a couple of wineglasses. "Want some?" He handed a wineglass to Shino and poured in some wine, stopping when Shino raised his hand. "I'm not your waiter, you know," he joked. "While _you _enjoy your quarter cup of wine, _I'm _going to fill mine right up to the top."

Shino's eye twitched behind his sunglasses as he watched the wine poor from the bottle, filling Kiba's cup all the way to the top, just as Kiba had said he would. He let out an inaudible sigh as he watched Kiba down his first glass, while he sipped leisurely on his. Kiba would be plum drunk by the end of this date and he thanked the Hokages of the past that they were sleeping here.

"We should get started on our dinner, eh?" asked Kiba, still smiling. His first cup was gone, and he'd already had a second helping of wine in. From the basket he had, he pulled out a match. He got on all fours, much to the dismay of Shino, and struck the match, lighting it and then lighting the fire. He threw the match into the pit and looked at Shino. "I brought some pans and whatnot to cook in. Lemme see what you brought."

Shino handed the bag of food products to Kiba, who snatched the bag and stuck his head into it. Shino couldn't help but smirk at Kiba's enthusiasm, always that of a child's curiosity.

"Oh, hey! Strawberries and chocolate! That'll be sexy." He gave Shino a smile that was full of sex.

Shino blushed. "Dinner before dessert." He grabbed the bag from Kiba and took out small bags of salad mix, tomatoes, shredded carrots, and light ranch. He silently asked for a bowl, which was given to him, and he began mixing himself a bowl of salad. "Why did you give me such a giant bowl?"

"Aren't we going to share?" asked Kiba. "Why eat from separate bowls? We're on a _date_ after all. And... unlike those premature dates little kids have with people they don't know too well, _we _know each other _all _too well." His voice echoed lust. "We're going to feed each other, right?"

Shino desperately wanted to say, "Uh..." because of what Kiba had asked. The last time anything like this had happened with him was when he was an infant where his father had to feed him. "Is that what couples do?"

"Duh!" He turned his hand into a fist and gently tapped at Shino's head. "Eating out of separate bowls is boring." He grabbed two sets of chopsticks, handing two to Shino and then he himself grabbed all the necessary ingredients to make the salad. "You know, I just _knew _you would choose ranch this light. You can't spice it up with red wine or something?"

"You already brought wine," Shino pointed out.

Kiba shrugged and Shino watched as the other made the salad, tossing it in the big bowl. He added the tomatoes, carrots, and slices of hard-boiled eggs-something _he'd _brought along-before adding the ranch. He moved himself until he was in front of the other man and sat the bowl in between them. He grabbed his chopsticks and began reaching for a few good pieces that were coated thickly with the ranch. He had the intention of feeding it to Shino, but the Aburame declined.

"You don't think I'd take it with so much ranch on it?" he asked.

"Oh, you're such a sourpuss," Kiba scowled. He almost had his section of food in his mouth until he noticed that Shino was still sitting respectfully. "You gonna eat?"

"I was under the impression that we were feeding each other," the other replied flatly.

Kiba smiled and pointed his chopsticks towards Shino, almost flinging a thick drop or two of ranch into the Aburame's face. "You're going to eat this, right?"

Shino nodded once and watched as the piece of food came closer to him. When it was in front of his face, he opened his mouth and waited for Kiba to take out his chopsticks. He chewed it and swallowed it, though he had been correct: There was _too _much ranch on it. He looked at Kiba, who was waiting with an impish expression on his face, before Shino himself brought his chopsticks to the salad and grabbed a decent-sized piece.

_This is awkward, _thought Shino, bringing the piece over to Kiba.

The would-be hound took it happily, nearly taking the chopsticks out of Shino's hand. "Mmmm... Yummy." He jabbed his chopsticks into the salad and whipped out another huge piece. "Your turn." He stuck the chopsticks in Shino's face and let out a whine of joy when Shino took it into his mouth. "This is sorta fun, y'know?" He looked at Shino. "But... maybe we should catch up? You know, like see how the other's been doin'?"

Shino nodded. "Sounds reasonable. How is your team of Genin doing?"

"I've got a bunch of wild childs!" Kiba responded. "It's not even funny. Yurio likes to think he can go off and do whatever he wants. Ugh! The kid thinks he's Superman or something! He reminds me of Naruto. Only like, worse than Naruto and Konohamaru _combined_. And then there's Siechka. He moved all the way from a village that's really far away. But I don't remember where 'cause he's here, y'know? He's not really talkative. I know he's good at something, but he won't say what. But like, if you watch him in battles, he's really strategic and whatever. He gets along with Rukie. I don't remember whose kid she is, though... Oh, well." He shrugged. "What about you?"

"My team is efficient," Shino replied simply. "Their uniqueness is apparent, as well as their natural abilities. What they lack, I help improve."

Kiba face-faulted. "What! That's not fair! I told you a crap load and you're telling me _that_?" Kiba folded his arms heavily together as he huffed hot air.

Shino smirked and leaned forward, stealing a kiss. When he pulled back, Kiba's face was surprised. Of course, that changed and _Shino _was the one to get taken back. Kiba forced Shino onto his back, submitting to the Inuzuka's lust. Immediately into it, Kiba's hands were braced at the side of Shino's head, pulling back the hood entirely. Shino thread his hands at Kiba's hips, trailing lines on his bones. _His pants are low enough... _Tongues lapped at each other, and moans were echoing; thanks to Kiba, that is.

When they pulled back, Kiba's face was flushed and his voice husky. "Why don't we screw dinner and go straight for dessert?" He grabbed Shino by the collar and pulled him forward with such haste that it shocked Shino. But only for a moment. He grabbed the bag and took out the container of strawberries, as well as the bag of chocolate pieces. "We're gonna have much more fun with this." He took a pot from his collection of items and asked: "Hey, can you set up a thing for me?"

"A thing?" Shino raised his eyebrow.

"You know... A thing..." Kiba felt like an idiot.

Shino smirked. "I know what you mean. I'll set it up while you get the food ready."

Kiba's mouth twisted into an irritated fashion. "Whatever." Still, he grabbed the strawberries and poured them into a bowl. From there, he opened two bags of chocolate chips and poured them into a pot. "He he he..." He stuck a hand into the pot, which was immediately stopped at the wrist by Shino's brisk hand.

"Don't even think about it," Shino warned. "If you eat all those before they melt, then we'll have nothing to dunk the strawberries in."

"Sourpuss..." Kiba made a face. "It's not gonna hurt if I take just _one_..."

"If anyone knows you, Kiba," warned Shino, "it's that you'll eat all of those chips before anyone gets a chance to melt them." He finished his duty for another brief minute. "There, you can set the pot up. I trust it has a handle?"

Kiba nodded and handed the pot to Shino. "Yeah. Hey don't give me that look-you're already sitting there."

Shino rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, but took the pot and set it up. Once he was finished, Kiba grabbed his wrist and pulled the Aburame so that he was on top of the Inuzuka. "Kiba, the chocolate won't take long to melt. If we get too into it, then it'll burn..."

Kiba frowned. "That means we can't make out for a little while?"

Shino hesitated. "You still haven't given me a massage."

Kiba smiled, large and happy. "Sure thing, buddy." He pushed Shino off to sit up. "But... you gotta wait first. I think that chocolate is done."

Shino grimaced, but grabbed the pot nonetheless and set it down. "Ouch..." He pulled his hand away from the pot after setting it down and looked at it, the flesh turning red from the heat.

"Are you okay, buddy?" Kiba crawled over to Shino and grabbed his wrist, looking at the burned palm. He raised the burned flesh up to his face and gave it a quick lick, causing Shino to flinch. "That probably didn't help much, but-Hey! I've got an idea. Hold still." He let go of Shino's hand and grabbed a bowl. He reached for a gallon filled with water and ice and poured it into the bowl. He set the bowl in front of Shino and grabbed his wrist again, setting it slowly into the water. He looked up at Shino after watching the hand for a moment. "That better?"

"Yes," Shino said with a nod. "Thank you." He raised his hand as Kiba lifted the bowl and set it in his lap. "This date isn't going very well, is it?"

"Are you sulking?" Kiba asked. "This date's going _fine_. Really. It is. And, I'll give you that massage, okay? You just gotta take off all those coats and your mesh shirt." He tugged at the sleeve to emphasis his point.

Shino nodded and began doing so, but was halted.

"Whoa, whoa. Your hand." He pointed to the hand sitting in icy cold water.

"It's fine," Shino assured. He took off his jackets, and then finally his mesh shirt. Had it not been for the burning hot fire, he would be feeling the cold air hitting his flesh. _It's not that bad out, _he thought. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"I'm ready, don't worry." Leaning forward, he took out a tube similar to the one that was used the first time they had sex.

"Kiba, is that-"

"No, silly. It's a different type of lotion. It's used for massaging. Just relax. I'm sure you need it after all."

There was a funny noise as Kiba forced the lotion onto his hand, a click, and then finally, a cool substance-along with Kiba's hands-was felt on Shino's back. Almost instantly, Shino could feel Kiba's experienced hands working out the kinks in the muscles. The man let out a relaxed sigh and Kiba said:

"Feel better, buddy?"

Shino nodded. "Perhaps after this we could have those strawberries and chocolates?"

"Hmm... I've got a _better _idea for that chocolate."

"You're not going to burn me, are you?" He turned his eyes back, though he didn't turn his head.

"No, of course not. Speaking of which..." He paused to retrieve the bowl of chocolate, careful to exert caution from Shino's mishap. "How's your hand?"

"It's fine," Shino said with a nod. He cringed slightly when he felt the warm, thick substance of the chocolate running in small rivulets down his back. At first, he was oblivious as to _what _the chocolate could do for him physically as far as _healing _would go; but when he felt the Inuzuka's tongue trailing to the path of the sticky substance, he realized that it wasn't meant for healing purposes at all. Surprising as it was, those quick licks were doing something to Shino. He could still feel Kiba's hands working at his stiff muscles, but he was more focused on that _tongue _of his. He shivered when Kiba trailed rather low.

"That feel good, buddy?" Kiba asked, his voice husky.

_Like no other,_ thought Shino. He couldn't verbally respond.

Kiba laughed. "Still feel like strawberries and chocolate?"

"Why bring food if it's just going to waste?" Shino clasped his hands together in an attempt to keep from going anywhere lewd, the pain helping to distract him.

Kiba sighed and pulled away. "Fine. You win... But you know, I haven't gotten all the chocolate off."

"I don't feel anything."

"Of course not," Kiba assured. "What's the difference between my saliva and the chocolate?" He laughed.

"The chocolate was over a burning fire," replied Shino. "Your saliva is different from chocolate. There's no chocolate left on my back, and even if there were, then there would be a very small amount. Is that correct?"

"Uh... yeah... You're no fun!" Kiba pouted. "Gimme those strawberries."

Shino did as much, and then asked: "Are you going to trail these down my back, too?"

"I'm not _that _fucking predictable, am I?"

"As predictable as a baby..." It was too much fun to tease the Inuzuka. He was so prone to burying himself in those situations.

Kiba gave Shino a light whack-very weak compared to what he _could _do-and said: "That's not funny, you know. And don't you _dare _bring up our conversation from earlier!"

"I suppose this date isn't going as well as you hoped?" Shino asked.

"Are you still sulking?" Kiba asked. "You need to learn how to let that stuff go. It doesn't matter that our salad hasn't been touched for more than a few bites. Or the chocolate was used on your back instead of the strawberries. Or the fact that you burned your hand. Be more free-spirited. Your daddy's not here to tell you otherwise."

Shino nodded. _He's right. _"Why don't we just share the strawberries?"

"Wanna feed each other again?" Kiba was hopeful.

"No, actually. Why don't we just eat them separately?"

Kiba pouted. "You're-"

"No fun," Shino finished. "I know. But we'll have plenty of time to share saliva after we're done."

Kiba smiled. He popped open the top of the container and grabbed the chocolate after he seated himself in front of Shino. He pulled out a particularly large one and ducked it in so violently that it caused thick droplets of chocolate to hit Shino's pants. He ignored Shino's grimace and popped the entire strawberry into his mouth, pulling out the top soon afterward and swallowing with a large gulp that Shino found unattractive. "Mmm... It's good."

Shino rolled his eyes. This was _some _romantic date. Ignoring Kiba's childish mannerisms, Shino grabbed a decently sized strawberry and dunked it in gently before biting into it. He took out the tip of the strawberry and tossed it into the fire and reached for another one.

"This is boring..." Kiba sulked. "Can't we just start making out?"

Shino inhaled deeply. Continue eating strawberries and chocolate, or have sex with Kiba? Some would say go for the strawberries and chocolate. Others would say fuck Kiba's brains out. What would _Shino _choose?

_May as well go for it... _

"You're no fun," Shino said, catching the Inuzuka by surprise.

He grabbed the other man's shirt collar and pulled him forcefully into a mind-blowing kiss. At first, Kiba didn't respond, but of course, Kiba wouldn't miss a kiss for anything. He forced the Aburame onto his back and continued to kiss him. The sound of tongues lapping together caused a sort of arousal in both men. Kiba's hands threaded into Shino's hair as Shino inched his fingers down to Kiba's hipbones, smoothing them in an up and down manner. Kiba hummed in appreciation as he continued to kiss the other man. Feeling ever so sly, Shino moved his hands inward, until they were just toying with Kiba; enough to get a rise out of the Inuzuka was all he wanted. Kiba whimpered when Shino touched him, and he secretly hoped Shino would do it again. Well, it wasn't a secret at all that he wanted Shino to touch him again. When Shino didn't, Kiba groaned and pulled back.

"What?" Shino asked.

"_Touch me_," Kiba growled.

Shino smirked. "Why?"

"Don't _tease _me, jerk," Kiba warned. "You know damn well that I've been needing to get laid."

"What for?" Shino couldn't help himself.

Kiba smiled a wry smile that was full of anger and lust. "You mean you haven't done _anything_ to relieve yourself in the past year? I've had to jerk-off almost _all _the time just thinking about the last time we had sex. I. Want. To. _Fuck_."

_Well okay, then, _thought Shino with surprise. "It's been a year..."

"You didn't forget everything," Kiba insisted. He leaned forward to kiss the Aburame again, immediately delving into a tongue-driven kiss. If anything, he was more persistent than before.

Shino, of course, couldn't find it in himself to complain. He instantly placed his hands in their respective place, just near the center of Kiba's length, begging to be touched, begging to be used. If anything, Shino knew he'd do nothing but torment the Inuzuka male, and he did just that. He stuck his hands over Kiba's length, loving the sound of Kiba's whimpering in their kiss. Kiba was just _begging _for more, and that was just what he was going to get.

He forced the other man back a little and began to work with the Inuzuka's pants, unbuttoning them and unzipping them. Shino could see it, just waiting to be touched; and, when he did, Kiba jumped slightly and let out a moan. Shino let his fingers delve past the contents of Kiba's thin underwear, feeling Kiba's muscles tense as those fingers toyed with his thighs. Kiba whimpered again, letting Shino know just how _badly _he wanted to be touched again. He _missed _it _so _much.

The Aburame couldn't deny that he'd wanted to see the Inuzuka writhe and shudder with every intensity that he could get from the younger ninja. Why deny him that? But of course, he wanted the other male beg. What point was there if there was no begging? He ran his fingers up and down the other ninja's stomach, just barely exposed. He'd yet to remove the other's shirt, though his had already been removed, and he traced the Inuzuka's muscles, defined by years of battling. He could feel the other's skin twitching with every movement. He knew that Kiba was waiting for him to go back down, but Shino wouldn't have it yet. He lifted his head and pulled into another kiss the with Inuzuka man, feeling the slip and slide of his tongue against the other's. Kiba let out a moan as they continued to press tongues together, feeling the heat and need of it all.

"Kiba…" he whispered into the submissive male's neck. He felt Kiba's neck twitch at the feeling of his breath. "What is it that you want?"

Kiba groaned. "Yer asking me _this_, Shino? Why…" He faded off into a moan when he felt Shino lick a stripe up his neck. "Ohh… You're gonna make this difficult for me."

"I like it," Shino replied simply. He licked another stripe up the latter's neck, enjoying the verbal responses. "I think you should, too."

"I... _am_..." came Kiba's response. "But how the _hell _am I supposed to respond when you're... Ah... _Doing _this to me..." He shuddered when he felt Shino bite into his neck, hard enough to mark, but not enough to hurt. "Shino..."

Shino continued to attack Kiba's neck, chin, and collarbones, nipping and licking all the while. He loved the way Kiba responded as every inch of the latter was attacked, and he had a feeling that what they were going to do was going to send him into a blissful oblivion. He bit once more into Kiba's neck and Kiba let out a disgruntled groan. He moved his hands down Kiba's torso, suggesting that he wanted to remove Kiba's shirt.

When Kiba felt his shirt being lifted, he moved his arms up and out of the way to help Shino get it off; but he was quickly back to attacking Shino with his lips and tongue, sometimes pressing his canines into the other's bottom lip, trying to claim some dominance. On rare occasions, Shino would let him slide; let him gain that dominance Kiba so desperately wanted to express. Not this time. He groaned slightly and whimpered as a sign of begging. Shino wouldn't have it. He was going to be the completely dominant one-he'd let Kiba take control for most of their last encounter-it was his turn now.

Feeling every bit the master to the bitch, Shino pushed Kiba off of him, causing the Inuzuka to fall onto his back, and yelp in the process due to surprise. He had no time to think about anything that had just happened when Shino forced himself on top of the other male, dominating him in a mind-blowing kiss that sent the dog-lover into a blissful damnation of everything that was so wrong, but felt so right. Kiba whimpered into the kiss.

"Shino…" he whispered, pleading when Shino pulled away from his mouth, traveling onward to his throat.

Shino didn't respond and he wasn't going to. He was thoroughly content to hear the other's whimpers, pleas, begs, moans, groans, and whatever else sounded good to Shino-for he couldn't think of anything else at the moment. He continued his attack on Kiba's neck, savoring the moans coming from between those slightly chapped lips, and loving the jumps made every time he stopped and continued to suck. He pulled back to see the beginning of several marks that would remain. Satisfied, he moved down, pulling the Inuzuka's shirt collar down slightly for more range.

Kiba let out a slight moan when he felt Shino working at his collarbones. He jumped when he felt his lover licking a stripe along his bones, trailing them and leaving a kiss in the center. He wanted more than anything for Shino to rip his shirt off and tackle him. But he knew Shino wouldn't conform.

Kiba's breath hitched when he felt Shino's hands trailing from the opposite polar. He felt Shino lifting his shirt up, and Kiba was more than happy to comply as he lifted his arms up and was finally exposed with the crisp air and the warm fire. "Shino…" he whimpered when Shino attack the knotted stubs of flesh on his chest. He tensed when Shino bit into one, and then shuddered as the cold air hit him. He let out a grunt as Shino attacked his other stub, wondering if he would continue the torturous attack.

Shino continued to attack Kiba, moving his hands evenly along the other's torso, toying with the muscles and ridges. He loved the way Kiba moved whenever Shino played with him just right, and it only inspired him to progress further. He went back up to play with the latter's nipples, relishing in the delight that was his partner. He heard Kiba gulp and then whimper, pleading for something more. Shino was more than happy to comply at this point-he wanted it badly.

"You did remember to bring lubrication, right?" Shino questioned. There were times when Kiba was so excited that he would manage to forget something.

Kiba shook his head. "No... I... didn't... forget..."

"Then where is it?" Shino asked.

Kiba pointed to another bag, one that had somehow gone unnoticed by Shino, and Shino pushed Kiba back onto his back to retrieve the tube of lubrication from the contents. He set it near the two of them-as it could wait until they progressed further-because he wanted to work with Kiba more.

He fondled at the waistband of Kiba's pants, waiting for some sort of approval. He got it when Kiba grabbed his wrists and coaxed them into grabbing the band of his pants.

"M-move..." he whispered harshly.

Shino complied. He grabbed the hemming of Kiba's pants, pulling them down further. He could hear Kiba's breath hitch, anticipating the rest. Shino could see the aching length just beyond the barriers of Kiba's thin boxers, just waiting to be touched. Kiba's begging only furthered the desire. Shino knew that he shouldn't tease the Inuzuka, for he knew how rash and impatient the other man was. Still... he couldn't deny that he _wanted _to see the submissive beg―even if it meant getting none for the next three years.

With brisk movements, Shino had the other's boxers off, rendering the Inuzuka utterly naked beneath him. Boy... was it a sight for sore eyes; that year apart certainly did the Inuzuka well with those clearly defined muscle ridges. He found himself trailing each line that turned into another, his hands roaming along the other's torso, and down to his hipbones, having stuck out so much from his shape. And despite all this, Shino had discovered that Kiba was still just as lengthy as ever, those muscles didn't steal away from his lean form in any way. Feeling lost, Shino placed a kiss on the other's figure, a little below his belly button.

He could see the other's heat, waiting to be touched and lavished, and with time, Shino had a feeling he would comply. But Kiba's wavering voice distracted him.

"So... like, are you going to... do anything yet...? The dog-lover was staring at Shino with intensity Shino was sure he'd have, if he weren't so flustered at the moment.

"In due time," Shino replied, ever logical and contained.

Kiba whined pitifully. "Come _on... _Did you forget how fucking _horny _I am or something?"

Shino wanted to roll his eyes. "I realized as much. But do you understand that _I'm _frustrated as well?"

Kiba's head shot up at hearing this and he stared at Shino. "What? No way. _You're _horny?" He let out a laugh. "That's great."

Shino pursed his lips irritably. "We can continue this or I can stop it right now. I'm only human."

"Okay, okay," Kiba surrendered. "I'm sorry. Can we keep going?"

"Alright," Shino complied. "But no more making fun of me."

Kiba offered an apologetic smile and reached for the other's hands, giving them a squeeze, and then waited patiently for Shino to continue. He watched as Shino lowered his head, and he anticipated what was to come. His breath hitched when he felt a warm and wet... _thing―_Shino's mouth―wrap around his length. He let out a grunt as he felt the other man work at his heat, moving his tongue delectably and deliberately to elicit Kiba's breathiest moans.

Although not as vocal as the other male, Shino was definitely feeling the affects of Kiba's voice on his own body. He continued to blow the other off, determined to receive the best possible reward from the Inuzuka. He mirrored his own cravings for lust, his love for the other, and the very simple fact that he'd missed the ninja. All the while, he was being rewarded for it.

Kiba was reaching his peak, Shino could tell from the moans the Inuzuka was letting out. However, Shino had other plans that didn't involve the other letting loose already-he wanted to make it last. He knew it would be much to the chagrin to the other ninja, but it'd been so long since their last physical encounter.

Kiba moaned in disapproval when he felt Shino move away, his body shivering at the loss of heat. He looked up at his partner in question, unsure of why Shino had stopped. He didn't need to say anything to get his message across, and Shino responded.

"How long as it been since we last saw each other?" he asked, not really expecting Kiba to answer verbally in his current state. "If anything, we're going to make this last as long as we can. We have all the time in the world to have quick sex, but when as much time has passed as this, our only option is to relish what we've missed."

The Inuzuka nodded in response and wrapped his arms around the other's neck-he'd missed Shino just as much. "Okay, Shino," he whispered. "Okay." He let go and anticipated Shino's next move. Lying himself back down, he waited patiently this time.

Shino swallowed his nervousness, disliking the spotlight being directed to him. Still, if they were to do anything, they should do it before the night was done and over with. He trailed the other's figure with hands, feeling the goosebumps that formed as he did so, before going back up again. He leaned forward to give the Inuzuka a kiss as a sly hand went south. Kiba moaned into Shino, having not expected-but enjoyed-the touch. If anything, he was more excited than surprised. Shino was playful tonight. In Kiba's mind, it was entirely welcome.

As the Aburame continued to work with the other's body, Kiba could feel his mind fluctuate to working to non-working. His mind was short-circuiting, and frankly, he didn't quite care. He could feel those calloused hands working in a calculated manner, and he wondered absentmindedly if it was possible that Shino had done this more than just their one time. It was doubtful, however; as Shino always possessed a high intelligence.

His erection was annoyingly in the way. As Shino worked on his lover's body, it was responding to every moan, whimper, and shudder that the other made in response to his actions. Despite the slow and romantic pace, it'd been _so long_ since their first experience together; and he was afraid they were both going to unload at a premature rate. He looked down at the other's well-endowed expression of lust, could see it radiating with the desire to be touched again. He had no intentions of taking the other into his mouth again, feeling that it was time to elevate things.

He leaned forward, his face close to the Inuzuka's, whose eyes were closed in response to the actions of the Aburame. "Kiba," he whispered, ever the patient one. "I'm going to progress this. Is that all right?"

Kiba gulped, but not from fear or hesitation. In fact, the Inuzuka man was full ready and ecstatic. He'd waited a full _year _for this to happen again―he wasn't going to miss out on it. He opened his eyes to look at the Aburame, displeased that he couldn't see the man's eyes. "Not yet," he whispered, reaching his hands up to take the sunglasses off.

Shino flinched, but he'd expected such an act. In truth, it made sense. Why share an intimate moment when the eyes of the lovers could not express to each other the raw, emotional experience at all? He allowed the Inuzuka to rid him of his trademark accessories, watching as they were place gently out of harm's way. He was thankful towards Kiba for the kind gesture, and gave a small smile. "Now?"

Kiba smiled, nodding. "Now."

The Aburame wasted no time in reconnecting their lips, feeling the bruised ones of the other man against his own chapped ones. No matter how many times they shared such a chaste and commonly performed gesture, the shocking feeling it created would never cease to exist. And if it did, Shino doubted he'd be able to live life as well as he did. He placed his hands on the man's exposed hips, and he felt Kiba's own calloused hands wrap around his shoulders. Shino pulled away after a while, however, to shed the rest of his remaining clothes. The Inuzuka was already completely nude, thanks to his own impatience, and he felt it only fair to share the "freedom"-if one chose to call it that.

Immediately upon doing this, Kiba reconnected their lips, feeling the exposed skin. Shino's thighs twitched with every gentle swipe the Inuzuka's hands made. They both wanted to rush, yet savor the passionate encounter. It was a difficult decision: to quicken the pace and sate thy selves; or draw the experience out, until both collapsed from exhaustion, release, and love. Both sounded like a good time, but … after a year of being apart, they were willing to persevere the electricity that coursed through their bodies. Merely skin touching skin sent jolts throughout their bodies, causing tremors to rock through them, and this only caused their desires to burn ever more passionately. Their lengths touched, causing the two lovers to elicit noises in response; Shino's being a quiet grunt, and Kiba's being a soft moan.

Shino pulled away from the soul-searing session, much to the Inuzuka's dismay, but pointed in a direction that was much more favored on both parts. Shino grabbed the tube that Kiba had made a point in taking, and began to prepare himself and Kiba for what they were going to do. Kiba shuddered when his lover squeezed the bottle, taking in the substance and rubbing it into his hands. Shino looked up, his eyes questioning his lover's consent. Kiba nodded slowly, subconsciously opening his legs to grant Shino entrance. Shino placed a hand on the Inuzuka's inner thigh, extending is other hand forward, slowly penetrating the entrance with a single finger. He could feel his lover tense up at the intrusion―it had been a year, after all―and Shino tried his hardest to make this as comfortable as possible. The noises weren't helping, however, as he moved his finger, curving it to gain a reaction out of the Inuzuka; who must've felt discomfort from the intrusion.

Kiba tensed, but he willed himself to relax. He didn't want to ruin _really _good sex just because he was acting like a virgin all over again. Although, in his mind―as well as his body―said just as much to him. The finger was difficult to ignore, but for the sake of the time, he tried to concentrate on what the good of it would be. Subconsciously, he tensed up when Shino pushed another slicked finger inside of him, continuing to stretch him. His body tensed incredibly when one of the lubed fingers breached a spot inside of him. It was unexpected, but totally welcome, as it sent powerful tremors throughout his entire body. The feelings were multiplying with every action of Shino's finger, and he was afraid that he'd be spent too early.

Sensing as such, Shino removed his fingers―much to the Inuzuka's dismay. _Don't complain_, the Aburame thought. _You must be as ready as I._ He prepared himself a bit more, for the intrusion would feel much worse than the fingers. Henceforth, the _year apart _had to be emphasized. He lined himself with the other male, his hands wrapped around the Inuzuka's back. Kiba was looking into the other's eyes, gauging. Despite the long-awaited event, Kiba was showing signs of hesitance, which Shino expected as much. Shino gave a well-placed kiss to erase the reluctance his lover was emitting, and could feel it doing its wonders. Kiba's body was relaxing, and he was submitting to the kiss. Taking in the opportunity, Shino gradually pushed himself in. Despite the tension that birthed as a result, Shino did his best to keep the other as relaxed as possible. Initially, unless the bottom was sedated, such an intrusion could scarcely be ignored entirely.

He was in completely. Kiba's heart was racing. After a year's wait, both men were in the position they'd waited so long to be in. Shino gave the Inuzuka time to catch his breath, though it'd be taken away in a few moments anyway. Yes; he felt confident that he'd render his lover breathless. He was waiting as patiently as he could for Kiba to adjust, but he had to admit to himself that such a patience was quite the virtue, considering his own predicament. It took all his will and more not to simply ravage the beautiful man that lay beneath him.

Moments that felt like eternities passed before Kiba finally gave the "okay" to continue. Shino pursed his lips at the unsure disposition Kiba was in, fearful that perhaps he was pushing this faster than what it should be. As drawled out as Shino himself thought this was, there was no reason to usher it. It was a time to savor and enjoy.

Without uttering a word, Shino began a slow pace, gradually shifting in and out. The slow, torturous actions were bringing Kiba out, with soft moans and grunts. There was the occasional mutter of the other's name, but otherwise, words were no longer necessary. For their actions spoke at a much louder decibel than their voices. As his pace quickened, so did Kiba's breath. A few more mutters from the Inuzuka in response, but mostly what escaped those kiss-swollen lips were pants and moans.

The heat that was forming through Kiba's body was burning up, setting him on fire. With every thrust his lover made into his body, it sent him just one more thrust closer to the edge. A year of masturbation did little to compare to actually having his long-time lover inside of him after such a long time being separated. His mind could scarce comprehend what was happening to his body, the more he was sent overboard. He felt like he was drowning in ecstasy. Shino knew exactly what he was doing, and knew when to hit every spot. _It's like he has me memorized … _the Inuzuka thought vaguely. It was hard to concentrate on a thought when he was being deliciously overtaken. His lips connected with Shino's once more, and he moaned into the other's throat, having felt the effects of the increased pace. Despite how drawled out the entire event had been, it seemed that the power of lust and want had overcome Shino. Not that Kiba was complaining.

A constricted feeling emerged within Kiba's lower body, causing him to contort and cling to his lover, who still thrusted. His lips―still attached to his lover's―emitted moans, reminding Shino just how he felt. The end of their rendezvous was nearing, and at this point, both men welcomed it. The feelings were simply too much to bear, and they were dying for a release that would split them in half. Thankfully, for Kiba's sake, that feeling was on its way with every thrust Shino muscled.

An explosion. A release. Kiba parted from Shino to let out a final moan, digging his nails into the other's back, creating deep crevices. Both tensed as their release came. They were drenched in sweat, panting, and their hearts were racing. Shino collapsed on top of Kiba, who welcomed the weight of the other on top of him. Shino could hear his lover's heartbeat, and it was lulling to him. In spite of the after glow, situations were dawning on him. Much to Kiba's reluctance, Shino moved to sit upright.

"This is the only blanket, isn't it?" he asked.

Kiba's vision was still hazy from the experience, and his mind was just as distorted. Having comprehended what Shino said, although not being able to speak it properly, he was having difficulty responding. "Hmm …?"

Shino smiled, albeit a small smile. "It's all right. We'll make-do with what we've got for the night and return in the morning."

The Inuzuka smiled in return, but was quickly being captured by sleep. As much as he wanted to speak more with the Aburame, he had a feeling that the man wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and, besides, he was incredibly tired from the event. Shino would be his no matter where time pulled them, or what they were doing with themselves. An unconditional and true love was theirs to share. His eyes were closing, and his vision was becoming blurry. His smile was still on his face, however sleepy it was, as his heartbeat slowed, and he finally succumbed to sleep.

Shino watched his lover fall asleep, as it calmed himself, and reached to pull the blanket over both he and Kiba. It was such a perfect spot to have their date―inspite of its beauty, it was a desolate place that was hardly ever visited. It was an unappreciated treasure in the world, and Shino had to wonder if perhaps they'd desecrated it by what they had just done.

_No … _he thought. _What we shared wasn't an act of spontanous lust, but an act of true love. _With a final glance to Kiba's sleeping form, the Aburame closed his eyes and fell asleep.

END.

I hope it was pleasing to read. The "sexy" didn't take quite as much place as it did in the first block, but … I wasn't aiming for sexy―I was aiming for romantic. I just hope … the sap wasn't too overbearing.


End file.
